


Guilt and Reassurance

by nightshadehorse93



Category: Ferdinand (2017)
Genre: Gen, Guilt, reassurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29608830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightshadehorse93/pseuds/nightshadehorse93
Summary: Bones is feeling guilty about what happened to Guapo when he got sent to the chophouse but he is trying to hide it. And Guapo has to do for Bones, what Bones has been doing for him all along.
Relationships: Friendship - Relationship
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after they were adopted by Nina.

It had been little over four months since the bulls had come to live with Ferdinand on Nina and Juan's farm and they all had settled into their new lives nicely. They all had let go of the competitiveness that they had been used to and had become rather good friends with one another, joking and playing around with each other.

Guapo and Bones picked up right where they had left off, Bones still being the supportive friend and Guapo trying to put on a brave face, though it wasn't needed anymore. Although lately Guapo had been noticing his best friend becoming more and more tense, like he had some sort of pent up emotion that Guapo couldn't place.

He had started noticing it about a week or two back, Bones would be lost in deep thought then quickly force a smile onto his face whenever someone looked at him or called to him. Guapo at first thought Bones was just thinking about something random but as time went on, he noticed how Bones' smile never reached his eyes and it seemed shaky, like he was seconds away from breaking down.

Once Guapo decided to try and ask his friend what was bothering him but Bones dodged the question by saying he 'had somewhere to be or Nina had called him.' so Guapo was left hanging, wondering what Bones was trying to hide, he knew Bones well enough to be able to catch him in a lie, the nervous laugh, the backing away, the shifting eyes the lowered ears and tail and the stiff gait all signaled to Guapo that Bones was holding onto something and he didn't want Guapo to know what it was.

Guapo was confused, Bones usually told him everything, so what was he trying to hide? Was it so bad that he couldn't tell even Guapo? The bigger bull was curious, what was going on with Bones? Why was he trying so hard to hide whatever it was that he was hiding?

Guapo kept trying to ask Bones about it but everytime he did, Bones would either just ignore the question all together or say it was 'nothing'. The bigger bull finally relented, as bad as he wanted to help Bones, he couldn't do that if he was being blocked by the mile high, mile wide stubborn brick wall fortress that Bones had mentally built around himself. Guapo knew all he could do was wait until the mental fortress cracked and fell or wait to catch Bones off guard enough for him to open up to Guapo about his problem or just let Bones come to him when he was ready to talk.

But all the waiting was wearing on Guapo's already fraying nerves, his worry over his friend made him uneasy and nervous, it made his mind wander to some very unpleasant what-if situations regarding his little friend. Was Bones sick? Come to think of it, the little bull did seem kinda sluggish lately, the usual pep in his step was gone. He wasn't eating as much as he usually would. And his whole demeanor was flipped around, where he was usually happy, smiling and lighthearted Bones was now closed off, drab and nervous. This wasn't like him at all.

Right as Guapo was coming to the conclusion that Bones must be sick, he saw his friend walking by and noticed with startling clarity that Bones was walking with his head down and the glossy look in his coat was gone. Guapo watched as Bones walked over to the water trough and just stood in front of it, staring at his reflection in the water for several agonizing minutes before sighing deeply and finally drinking from it, but it wasn't a deep, long drink like Guapo expected, it was a sip, just a quick sip before Bones turned and walked away, his pace slow and lacking any form of energy. The bigger bull watched as his friend found a random place in the field and laid down, but the act of laying down looked like it was difficult for him, whereas normally he would flop down no issues whatsoever, but now he was slow and careful about it, looking like a newborn calf, unsteady and wobbly.

All this raised multiple red flags in Guapo's mind, no energy, no appetite, no desire to drink, the lack of attitude in general? Guapo feared Bones was giving up on life, but why would he do that, when he just found life really worth living now? The freedom, the peace, the release from their prison that they had once called home? Did Bones find it unpleasant, so much so, that he was willing his body to shut down?

For just a second Guapo felt the overwhelming panic latch down over him, but before it could smother him in all it's glory, he shook himself violently, breaking the wall of panic that threatened to drown him. No! Not this time, he would not allow himself to fall to it. His friend needed his help and Guapo came to a mental focus of his own. Bones needed help and Guapo was going to provide it in any and every way Bones would allow. It was time to repay his debt to Bones, the little bull had so often helped steady him back when they were growing up at Casa Del Toro. Now it was Guapo's turn to do for Bones, what he had been doing for Guapo all that time...Saving him.


	2. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guapo goes around and asks a few of his other herdmates if they know what is wrong with Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be at least one more chapter to this.

Guapo was downright determined to help Bones through whatever it was that he was going through, but to do that he needed an idea or answers to why the little bull was behaving the way he was. He had already tried to get an answer from Bones but Bones had clammed up and put a lock on himself and threw away the key. So Guapo was left with no choice but to ask around, to see if any of his herdmates knew why Bones seemed so down in the dumps lately.

Guapo mentally went through his choices of who to ask, Lupe might know, she tended to see and know everything that went on around the place, he would start with her. He looked up at the sky and noted the time, Lupe had a specific routine she liked to stick to, it appeared to be around 1:00 if his guess and inner clock was working right. Normally around this time, Lupe would be walking the fence line, so he set off to find her, and after a few minutes he found her, happily hopping along on top of the fence, just as he had guessed.

"Hey Lupe, how's it going?" He asked in a friendly manner as he approached her. Lupe quickly looked up, seemingly startled for a second,

"Oh! Hey Guapo, everything's good here, how are things going with you?" The goat asked back.

"Mostly the same, except, well..., He hesitated briefly, "I'm worried about Bones."

Lupe walked to a fence post and faced Guapo once she had stepped up on it, "Is he sick?" She asked, concern in her expression

Guapo shook his head "I don't know, he's still eating, a little at least, but he's barely drinking anything and he doesn't want to hang out anymore, he just wants to be alone lately."

"I was wondering why he has been hanging around the pond all alone, he heads there after breakfast and lunch, but he doesn't do anything." The goat said

Guapo furrowed his brow "He doesn't swim? He loves swimming."

Lupe shook her head "Not the last few days, he just sits or lays by it."

Guapo wondered if maybe Bones had an incident recently, maybe he had almost drowned and it had traumatized him.

Guapo wonders on this possibility as he comes to the conclusion that Lupe is as lost about the way Bones is acting as he is. He thanked the goat and decided to ask someone else.

His next possible clue on who would know what was going on with Bones came in the form of their previous bully and previous leader, Valiente. Guapo had to steady himself before going and approaching Valiente, if he was being honest with himself, he couldn't hardly talk to Valiente without stuttering anymore.

With a deep breath and a reminder that he was on a mission to help his friend, he walked up to Valiente, hoping he wouldn't get tongue tied at the last second. 

"Hello Val, you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Val raised his head and gave Guapo a friendly smile "Yeah sure, go ahead."

"Have you noticed the way Bones has been acting lately?"

Val thought for a moment "I only really noticed it a couple of days ago, he hasn't been eating much and most of the day, he isn't around. Now why he is acting the way he is? I don't know honestly and it does worry me, you and I both know this isn't like him, he's normally always hungry and he doesn't usually like to be alone, so this is unusual for him." 

Guapo sighed, Valiente didn't know much more than he did either. "Thanks, Val." He said a bit crestfallen at the lack of information.

Valiente shrugged apologetically "Sorry, I wish I could of been more help, let me know if there's anything I can do to help if you need it." The bigger bull said as he walked away.

"I will, thanks." Guapo called out appreciatively as he began thinking of who else he could possibly ask for information on Bones. He went over and sat under the cork tree to think for a minute, then he raised his head and looked at the branches stretching out from the tree above his head, studying them for a moment, Ferdinand had said the cork tree was a peaceful spot, the perfect place to sit and think. Guapo's eyes shot open at that. Of course, Ferdinand! Surely he would know something, as leader of their herd he tried to make sure all his friends were doing well.

Guapo stood up and went to find Ferdinand, hoping this attempt would shine more light on the situation regarding his best friend. He found Ferdinand watering a few patches of flowers using the old wooden water trough.

"Hey Ferd!"

"Hello Guapo! How's your day been so far?" Ferdinand asked kindly as he set down the wooden trough

"Pretty much normal and easy." Guapo responded before looking a bit uneasy.

"Worried about Bones?" Ferdinand guessed

"Yeah, you wouldn't happen to know why he's acting this way would you?" Guapo asked hopefully

Ferdinand thought for a second, "Well I may be off the mark but, I think I kinda know why he is acting the way he is, but not entirely sure, I've noticed he seems to flinch around you like he's afraid of you or afraid for you."

Guapo's eyes widen incredulously "Afraid...Of me?!" 

"It's probably more for you, then of you."

"How? Why? I'm not hurt or sick?" Guapo explained

Ferdinand sighed a bit "Back at Casa the night after you were sent away, he and I had a talk, he opened up to me a little, now I can't tell you what he said that's something he'd have to tell you himself, I'm not supposed to say anything more than that about it. But I can say he really did miss you."

Guapo was silent as he absorbed Ferdinand's words. He was starting to understand, it was all making sense now. Bones wasn't sick, not physically at least, he was heartsick. Guapo knew then that Bones was holding onto the guilt he felt for Guapo getting sent to the chophouse, knowing Bones as well as he did, he knew he was blaming himself for it and hadn't forgiven himself, even though he wasn't responsible for what had happened that day. 

Guapo blew out a breath in a controlled sigh "He thinks he's at fault for that day, he blames himself."

Ferdinand nodded silently in agreement. "I imagine so."

"Why is he trying so hard to hide it then, he usually tells me everything?" Guapo stated

Ferdinand shrugs "I don't know, that's something you'd have to ask him." He said as he turned to leave.

Guapo sat down heavily, a wave of sadness washed over him, his friend was hurting and he never even thought it wasn't physical, now that he knew he felt like an idiot, Bones was suffering a mental crisis and Guapo didn't even realize it, he had just assumed he was getting physically sick, it had never occured to him that it was mental and emotional thing that Bones was going through. Now all Guapo had to do was get Bones to talk to him, and that was going to take some doing, but he knew if he prodded long enough, Bones would crack and open up to him. He just had to do so carefully, he wanted to help Bones, not hurt him further, pain was the last thing Bones needed right now, and Guapo was gonna make sure that Bones didn't suffer and hurt anymore, after all what were friends for, if not to help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all are enjoying this story.😊

**Author's Note:**

> I was just gonna make this a one shot but I think I better make it into chapters


End file.
